Woodpeckers' Unique Diet: A Nutritional Adventure

Woodpeckers are among the least picky eaters in the bird family, able to either eat or drink their foods, and continuously adjust their diets to take advantage of whatever is available in their neck of the woods. They don't eat the same food all year round, and their trademark tree-drilling is sometimes used to drill for sap or dislodge insects. Woodpeckers love peanut butter and fruit jelly, and they also eat insects or insect larvae, nuts and berries.

Insects and larvae

Woodpeckers are opportunistic and least picky eaters in the bird family. They continuously adjust their diets to take advantage of whatever is available in their neck of the woods. They are smart enough to store or hide foods so they can enjoy them later.

Woodpeckers love peanut butter and fruit jelly. To feed them peanut butter, simply smear sufficient amounts of peanut butter directly on the woodpecker-visiting tree trunks. You can also fill a log feeder with peanut butter or peanut butter blends.

Woodpeckers eat insects or insect larvae, more of the former. All of them winter with us, so their diet varies with the season. The downy woodpeckers, the smallest of our cohort, are more opportunistic than the others. The downy diet is about 75% animal matter, the remainder vegetable. Downys eat beetles, wood-boring larvae, ants, plant lice, caterpillars, spiders, various other insects and snails.

When it comes to diet, woodpeckers are among the least picky eaters in the bird family. They can either eat or drink their foods and continuously adjust their diets to take advantage of whatever is available in their neck of the woods. And they’re smart enough to store or hide foods so they can enjoy them later. While their tree-drilling is sometimes used to drill for sap or dislodge insects, it’s more often a means of communication signaling a territorial warning or quest for a mate.

Nuts and berries

Woodpeckers are opportunistic eaters and among the least picky eaters in the bird family. They continuously adjust their diets to take advantage of whatever is available in their neck of the woods.

In winter, woodpeckers change their diet to nuts and berries. Young insects and insect larvae are also part of their diet. However, they don't eat anything beneath the tree barks.

Downy woodpeckers, the smallest of the species, are more opportunistic than the others. The downy diet is about 75% animal matter, the remainder vegetable. They eat beetles, wood-boring larvae, ants, plant lice, caterpillars, spiders, various other insects and snails.

Woodpeckers love peanut butter and fruit jelly. To feed them peanut butter, simply smear sufficient amounts of peanut butter directly on the woodpecker-visiting tree trunks. You can also fill a log feeder with peanut butter or peanut butter blends.

Sunflower seeds and acorns

Woodpeckers are opportunistic eaters, continuously adjusting their diets to take advantage of available food sources. They don't eat the same food all year round, with their diet varying with the seasons.

In winter, woodpeckers change their diet to nuts and berries. Young insects and insect larvae are also part of their diet.

Woodpeckers love peanut butter and fruit jelly. Peanuts can be a delicious snack for woodpeckers, which also provide protein and fats. However, flavored or salted peanuts can be harmful for woodpeckers.

Woodpeckers eat pine nuts if you have pine trees. They also take larvae from the galls common to goldenrod.

Peanuts and pine nuts

Woodpeckers have a varied diet and are among the least picky eaters in the bird family. They continuously adjust their diets to take advantage of whatever is available in their neck of the woods. They are able to either eat or drink their food.

Woodpeckers love peanuts, either shelled or unshelled. Peanuts can be a delicious snack for woodpeckers, which also provide protein and fats. However, flavored or salted peanuts can be harmful for woodpeckers. Woodpeckers also eat pine nuts and love peanut butter.

To feed woodpeckers peanut butter, simply smear a sufficient amount of peanut butter directly on the tree trunks that the woodpeckers visit. You can also fill a log feeder with peanut butter or peanut butter blends.

Woodpeckers don't eat the same food all year round. In winter, they change their diet to nuts and berries. The Red-Breasted Sapsuckers mainly eat tree sap. They consume arthropods and various fruits. When they are looking for insects, they forage for them by flycatching, tapping, probing, or praying.

Tree sap and grubs

Woodpeckers are opportunistic and among the least picky eaters in the bird family. They continuously adjust their diets to take advantage of whatever is available in their neck of the woods.

The Red-Breasted Sapsuckers mainly eat tree sap, while the Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers consume arthropods and various fruits.

When it comes to insects, woodpeckers forage for them by flycatching, tapping, probing, or praying. They don't eat anything beneath the tree barks.

Grubs, spiders, ants, mealworms, and wood-boring bugs are also part of the woodpecker's diet. Half of a Pileated Woodpecker’s warm-weather diet may be comprised of ants.

Woodpeckers also love peanut butter and fruit jelly. To feed them peanut butter, simply smear sufficient amounts of peanut butter directly on the woodpecker-visiting tree trunks. You can also fill a log feeder with peanut butter or peanut butter blends.

Frequently asked questions